The New Team 10
by WonderfulChaos
Summary: The Sasuke Retrevial Mission was a failure, and it's effects on everyone is worse than what it should've have been. On that day three of the Rookie 9 are taken from the picture leaving Naruto, Ino, and Shikamaru to try and cope with their losses. Unable, and unwilling, to leave the village, Naruto joins Ino and Shikamaru to move forward. (No harem; No ShikaIno.) Narux?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is the second of the five fanfictions I have thought up while I have been struggling to write the next chapter of my first story _Becoming More_. I hope you all enjoy the story just as much, if not more than, _A Vixen's Pride_. The next story will be _Diamond and Citrine Eyes_, and will be done in a few days time.**

**NARUTO PAIRING POLL NOW MADE FOR THIS STORY!**

* * *

Failure.

That was all that could be felt throughout the halls and rooms of Konoha's main hospital. The feeling hung heavy in the atmosphere, and filled those who entered the building with a sense of loss. The feeling of failure and loss was mixed in a few into and even worse emotion. One so close to pure despair that it can be described as nothing more nor less than exactly that. Despair.

**Neji**

Hyuga Neji was in the largest room on the top floor that the hospital had to offer. His body was laid, with his torso exposed, on the of the room. His hair no longer held back by his forehead protector sat wildly around his shoulders and face. A seal that was spread across almost the entire floor of the room surround his body in a gigantic square with a four sided star on it that's points were on the outside of its edges.

The corners of the square were completely blackened with medic nin sitting in them. They were breathing heavily and occasionally switching out with each other. A tuff of Neji's hair was suspended above a hole just inside of his right shoulder with a faint glow of chakra surrounding it. Shizune was giving orders to the other medics not a make a single mistake or it cost them.

While his body was unmoving, Neji's mind was steadily rolling along. _So I'm that bad off am I? Heh, seems I still have a long way to go._ He mentally frowned as he replayed what he had heard the medics who were on their breaks talking about. _Uchiha Sasuke... do you know what you have done? The pain you have caused? I pray for Naruto-san and Sakura-san._

**Kiba**

Kiba was in the next room over from Neji that was regular sized. He was bandaged slightly around the face, and laid motionlessly in the hospital bed. The wild boy looked over at his sister as she checked on his partner Akamaru. It hurt him to see the young pup so beaten up. "How is he Onee-chan..?"

Kiba's older sister, Inuzuka Hana, ran her hand gently over the injured pup. "For the moment he can't walk.." she sighed. "The muscles in his arms and legs were badly damaged."

The assessment was of his partner's condition did not sit well with him. "You're a vet aren't you Onee-chan? Can't you..." Kiba was unsure of what to say next. He just wanted his best friend to be okay.

"He's alright," Hana said kindly. "Don't worry, after some rest, his condition will stabilize." Kiba closed his eyes and nodded gratefully. A quick jolt of pain in his neck ceased the motion and caused him to suck in air. "More importantly the same goes for Kiba."

The boy chuckled momentarily. "Yeah. I got it." He was about to let himself slip into a blissful sleep when a thought suddenly hit him. "Hana-nee, do you know what happened? If Sasuke was brought back?"

The girl's face darkened briefly before she hid her emotions from her brother. "Just rest Kiba. That's all you should be focusing on right now is resting." Getting up from her squatting position, Hana left a tiring Kiba to rest.

_...Damn,_ he thought having caught the look on his sister's face. _Just... fucking hell. Sasuke you traitor... did you really think it was worth this... damn._ No one would take Kiba for the overly emotional type, but even he knew this was a time to let the pain storm about himself. Tears were exceptable at this point.

**Shikamaru**

The young Nara genius sat fidgeting outside of the room his closest friend was currently still in. His hands would not stop shaking, and he was unable to find a comfortable spot to place all of his fingers though the splint on his left finger. The boy's mind was rolling through turmoil.

"There's no use fidgeting you know," a blonde haired girl said. She was sitting on a bench opposite of him with her legs and arms crossed before her. Temari, his support for their failed mission. A support that his friend never had a chance to receive. "Sacrifice is an inevitable part of missions like these," she said. "Didn't you receive emotion training for this stuff?"

Shikamaru put what little strength he had in himself to glare at the girl. "Training and actual combat are different," he said loudly yet softly. "In a mission you don't know what is going to happen and I was a team leader for the first time on a mission. Because of that, I understand that I'm not cut out for being a shinobi."

Temari looked the boy down. "Unexpected fragility... men are strange."

Standing, the shadow user looked down at the ground. "I shouldn't have been the team leader this time. I just trusted everyone else. I was laid back... I didn't have enough strength. This... all of this is my fault."

The blond shifted her gaze slightly into a more aggressive look. "Are you afraid of being hurt?"

For a moment, Shikamaru looked at the girl before he heard the worst possible sound. Loud frantic beeping from his friend's room, and the sound of people running around. He had no idea what he was going to say to Temari, but that no longer mattered. Not right now. Not when a nightmare was on the verge of reality. Plopping down on to his bench, the boy gave into his mangled emotions.

The girl watched as Shikamaru began to fall apart and glared at the spot above his head. (Uchiha Sasuke. I never liked or really trusted that guy, but to think he would go this far for power is ridiculous... to make his own comrades carry the burden of the effects of his betrayal.) Sighing, the girl went over to the boy and uncharacteristically comforted him.

**Kakashi**

The masked ninja sat atop the hospital roof as he looked over the village before him. Everything seemed to be as peaceful as it should be. Nothing seemed to be even the smallest bit of out of place. But he knew though, he knew nothing was right. That the world of all of the Genin had just taken an unfortunate turn.

Kakashi new he played a part in the turn. A part so big it sickened him. If he had just been a better teacher to Sasuke, no, to all of his students maybe this wouldn't have happened. The failure of Team Seven, the hole in one of his student's chest, the arrogance of the one who put it there, all of it rested on his shoulders.

The stone face of the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze, looked down on him. The pressure of those eyes, the disappointment that would be in them if they were alive, was too much. Looking into the sky, Kakashi cried for his failures. _Maybe it's time I changed myself completely._

These feeling that were running out their minds were even heavier in two other rooms on the building's top floor.

**Choji's Room**

The beeping came out of nowhere on to the unexpected medic nin in the room. They thought they had done everything right. Just now, someone was just about to inform the two ninja in the hallway that Choji was going to be fine, yet now something had gone wrong. Everyone immediately went into action after their initial hesitation.

The rushed to the monitors to find him going into sudden cardiac arrest. A case that all of them hadn't encountered in a a long if ever in there career as a medic nin. One medic tried to restart the boy's breathing, while another prepped a lighting jutsu into his hands. "Clear!" She shocked the boy's chest causing his body to heave up at the chest momentarily. One beat. Nothing. "Clear!" She again shocked the boy in hopes of saving them.

_So that's what it's like to be shocked by a doctor. Not all that bad I guess. Then again I can't really feel anything anymore._ Choji sat at a table with his favorite food before him untouched. He smiled down into it as tears filled his eyes. He knew that it was all useless. _Man I wish I could eat some real food one last time.  
_  
_Choji you better catch up with us later._ The last thing he heard his friend Shikamaru say replayed in his mind over and over again. His smile was already sad, but now it was downright painful. He had all intentions of catching up to the others. To be the part of the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho with Ino and Shikamaru. To eventually beat Naruto's record for ramen eating at Ichiraku, and most of all to hold his baby sister that was soon to be born.

"Sorry guys..." Choji said making the medics all look at him. A smile was on the boy's face as tears trailed down his cheeks. The monitor let out a high pitched constant noise as his heart refused to beat anymore. Deciding that the boy had somehow already made his piece, the female doctor who had been shocking his heart slowly pulled up a seat and covered his body.

Akimichi Choji was dead.

**Naruto's Room**

The young blond sat in his bed, looking down at his hands like the world meant nothing to him anymore. He had failed in his mission to his Village, and more importantly his promise to Sakura. He had let Sauske, his one and only brother, escape him and run off into the slimy grasp of that snake Orochimaru. After everything he had tried to bring him back, he just was not strong enough to accomplish his mission.

(How could I have let this happen? I was supposed to bring him back home. Make sure that we all stayed a family. Damn, damn, damn, damn!) He shook as he balled his hands into fist. Tears began to stain the sheets below him. _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Kakashi-sensei. Sakura-chan. Please forgive me. _He remebered what he had heard about everyone else's, who were on the Sasuke Retrieval Team, conditions and choked back a sob that had risen in his throat. _Everyone. Everyone please be okay._

As he cried, he failed to notice the door to his room opening as Sakura silently slipped in. The pink haired girl watch him cry with an expressionless face as she thought over what she was about to do. She knew what was going to do, and decided to talk to the distraught figure before her.

It wasn't until Sakura placed a hand on Naruto's wrist that he noticed the young kunoichi in the room. "Hey," she said as he stared at her with wide, blood shot eyes. "I... heard about what happened on the mission..." The girl said the last part so softly that Naruto was unable to hear her words.

Naruto sniffed. "I'm sorry Sakura-chan, but what did you just say?" Not expecting to be slapped by his teammate, Naruto fell back shocked a sudden hand across his face. He used a hand to hold himself up as the other shakingly reached up to his cheek as even more tears filled his eyes. _No...please no._

Sakura glared down at Naruto with her hand still out where it stopped after slapping him. "Don't you call me that. Don't you dare ever call me that! The only ones with that right are people I care about, and you're not one of them Baka!" She smiled as a part of Naruto's heart and soul visually died in his eyes.

"W-why Sakura-cha..." Another slap rung through the room as the girl again smacked him.

"I'm serious Baka. I never want to hear you call me that again. No, I never want to hear you even so my name again do you understand! You said you would bring Sasuke-kun back to me, and you dared come back without him!" Sakura grabbed the golden blonde's shoulder roughly and shook him cause pain to shoot throughout his body. "Sasuke-kun is the one I should be sitting with right now! Instead I'm stuck with you! Some sorry excuse of a shinobi that shouldn't even have been born!"

Not thinking her words had done enough damage, the girl grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. The light in Naruto's eyes were completely gone by now. All they were were two dull, lifeless blue orbs without no purpose. "You wanted to know what I said earlier? Huh? You want to fucking know?!" Naruto slowly shook his head as the tears in his eyes started to dry away. "I wanted you to die dammit. I wished Sasuke-kun had finished you off after he beat you! If Sasuke-kun isn't here, then you shouldn't be here either!"

Naruto fell all the back on to his bed as the let go of his face. He watched her waist, and saw her pull a kunai up from her weapon's pouch and cried on the inside. Thinking the words he could not find his voice to say. (She hates me. I knew she would. I couldn't keep my promise to her like I said I would. Maybe I deserve this after everything. No one will forgive me for failing the mission. Not even baa-chan will forgive me for this.) Closing his eyes, the boy waited for the inevitable death he was sure Sakura was planning to give him.

Sakura scowled at the sight. "Don't you dare close your eyes dammit. Open them! I want you to watch this happen." No longer caring about anything, Naruto did as he was told. It thrilled Sakura to see the boy so defeated. She would avenge the loss of Sasuke. Today, a blight is going to be removed from the world. Raising her hand high, the girl smiled. "At least you know how to die." Slamming down the kunai, Sakura sunk the blade hilt deep into Naruto's chest. Or she would have had her hand not been grab.

Sakura gasped as she looked at her hand while the other one was also grabbed at her side. It was encased in sand, and she was sure the other one was as well. If not for the sand, then the heart wrenching killer intent that she felt from the boy behind her would have told her who stood behind her. Sabaku no Gaara had her in his grasp. The girl trembled as she looked back into the boy's eyes.

"Sakura-san... what do you think you are doing to Naruto-san?" It was posed as a question, but the venom in his tone told her that her answer didn't really matter. Sakura just continued to stare at the boy with pure unadulterated fear. "It doesn't matter. You won't be able to doing anything anyways."

Sakura began to ask what he meant just as she felt the worst pain in her life flare up. She screams out in pain as her hand by her side was crushed. Tears fell down her eyes as the pain was too much for her to handle. The sand continued to crush the hand until it finally destroyed the bones completely and tore it away from her wrist.

Sakura continued to scream as the blood pump from her severed hand, and it flooded out onto the ground. Sand soon covered to stop the bleeding. She fell to the ground gasping for air as she tried to breath. "Please," she begged, "let me go. Let me go and I'll leave. Please Gaara just let me go." Gaara looked at the girl as tears cascaded down her eyes. Sakura was weak, and he knew it. Though the sand had only loosened when she quickly stabbed her kunai down into Naruto's chest.

**Kakashi**

The first time he heard the scream he had written off as Sakura finding out what happened to Naruto. The second time though, he knew something was wrong. Not wasting anytime on wiping away the tears falling from his eye, Kakashi jumped over the side of the building and landed on Naruto's window ledge before busting through the glass.

The first thing he noticed was the still screaming Sakura. One of her hands were gone, and her other arm was squashed horribly but still attached. Multiple arm long needles of sand had pierced through both of her legs. They nailed her to the wall upside down at crooked angles.

"Sakura what happened to you!?" The girl saw her sense had arrived, but could only gasp for air and sob. Kakashi growled as he looked up and saw Gaara standing over Naruto's still body. He felt more than saw two Anbu, who had been in the vicinity at the time, appear next to him as he glared down the red headed jinchūriki. "Gaara, what do you think you are doing!?" he demanded.

Gaara looked up from Naruto with a slight frown. "I am defending Naruto-san from his assailant. She attacked him, and I saw it fit to stop her. Please call for the nurses, I failed." For a moment Kakashi faltered before he noticed the kunai in Naruto's barely moving chest.

Soft, demented chuckling came from Sakura as she found the ability to talk. "Sen... sensei. I did it... I really... did it... I got revenge on him... now th... that baka can't hurt... anyone again... if Sas... Sasuke-kun... my Sasuke-ku... kun isn't here... he shouldn't be ei... either." The girl continued to laugh as Kakashi stared at her horrified. One of the Anbu left to get immediate medical help as the other approached Sakura's pinned up form.

Kakashi, for all intents and purposes, had been willing to not believe Gaara. To believe that the boy was just trying to cover his deeds with lies. But Sakura had crushed all thoughts of that. Had admitted with pride that she had tried to kill her own teammate, and for what? A foolish crush who had betrayed the village and hospitalized many of her friends? He shook his head in disbelief at what was happening.

The doctors burst through the door, and quickly grabbed Naruto's bed before running out with him to the emergency room. One of them stayed behind and looked at the pink haired girl. "What should be done with her?" the woman asked calmly, but it could be seen in her eyes that the sight disturbed her.

"That is up to Kakashi-senpai here," the Anbu who had stayed said. The voice was feminine behind the cat mask, and Kakashi knew who it was and what she wanted him to do.

Swallowing, Kakashi walked over to Sakura stiffly. "Take your sand out of her legs Gaara," he said monotoned. Sakura took a deep breath and smiled at her sensei. She believed that he saw things her way, and she was soon to be rewarded for her deed. Her beliefs were quickly shattered. "Me and Neko-san will take her before Hokage-sama and Tora-san," Kakashi said to Sakura's horror as he pointed to the Anbu who had just come back, "will take you to the I&T Department. Tell them to have Ibiki talk to you about this instead of Anko. We need to know everything that happened in her."

As Gaara's sand retracted from Sakura's body, she cried out in anger. "Kakashi-sensei!... How could you do... do this to me!... I'm... I'm your student!"

Kakashi looked at her with a cold eye. "Not anymore. As of now you are a traitor of the village Sakura, and prepare to pay the price." _Where did I go wrong with this group?_

**Tsunade**

Today was bad. Today was just plain bad. Firstly she can't find any of her sake thanks to Shizune's constant meddling in her drinking affairs. The young women obviously needed a man in her life. Secondly, she gets word that Uchiha Sasuke has become a traitor and abandoned the village. Which, of course with the shortage of available shinobi, only forced her hand to send out a freshly promoted Chūnnin and five of her best Genin plus call in back up from Suna. Now four of those Genin are hospitalized, Sasuke Uchiha escaped, and she still hadn't had a single drink since the day before.

As if that wasn't enough to give her the worst headache of her life, instead of being at the hospital treating the four injured Genin, she is stuck in a council meeting that sound have waited until the next day, just so the civilians could complain about their loss of the Uchiha and Naruto's. Of course nobody thinks the way she does. They all just wanted her to suffer. Yes, today was just plain horrible.

"What are we supposed to do now!?" a random male civilian yelled in aggravation.

"Yes," another one said, "that demon brat failed his mission, and now we are short one Kekkei Genkai thanks to him!"

"How could you have let this happen!?" another screamed.

"The best Genin in the world, and now he's gone! Gone to our enemies!" The other civilians cheered in with their agreements and complaints.

Rolling her eyes Tsunade ignored the civilians and turned to the shinobi side of the council. The only side that she believed should even be in the room. Hyuga Hiashi looked to be as stoic as ever as he stared ahead waiting for a chance to input his opinion. Inuzuka Tsume was grating her teeth as she stared daggers at the civilians for keeping her from her son as they just continued complaining. Aburame Shibi watched the entire room from behind his shades like any other Aburame would. Yamanaka Inoichi was shaking his head in disappointment in how little the council had changed over the years. Akimichi Chōza seemed to be holding in a lot of anger as he wanted to be by his sons side like Tsume. Nara Shikaku seemed to have fallen asleep with his eyes open. The man wasn't even breathing from what Tsunade could she.

Tsunade had enough of listening to the civilians complain before slamming her fist down. "Enough! You whining and complaining will get us nowhere if nobody is able to get in a word to make a decision!" The council room quickly quite as she leaned back into her chair. "Now, as for the failure of the mission, and the loss of Uchiha Sasuke, there is little left for us to do now but label him a missing ninja." Another outburst from the civilians rose at her words. "QUIET! There is nothing that can be done for the boy now. He made his choice."

A few of the civilians grumbled their displeasure as Shikaku spoke. "Well seeing as the Uchiha was lost on this mission, was anything of use found out about Orochimaru?"

Tsunade silently thanked the man for quickly changing the subject. "Nothing was found out about the man himself that we don't already know, but the four ninja who were killed on the mission were his personal guards and played a role in Sarutobi-sensei's death. Well three of them did."

Inoichi gave the Hokage a questioning look. "What do you mean Hokage-sama? Did he change out one of his guards for some reason?"

"No," Tsunade sighed. "The four that originally appeared were indeed the same four that assisted Orochimaru before. This time though, a fifth member showed up to fight. He was the leader of the group and already dying from a disease from what I was told by Lee and Sabaku no Gaara."

"Hm, then one of the original four must still be alive," a man wrapped mostly in bandages said. His name was Shimura Danzō. The man was a thorn in the side of the previous two Kages and the current one. Any time he raised his head, trouble was sure follow it making Tsunade immediately weary of the man now. "Who and where is this other member of the four?"

Just as Tsunade was contemplating answering or ignoring the man, the door to the council room burst open. Everyone looked to see Kakashi and the cat masked Anbu practically dragging Sakura into the room with a medic ninja and a blood trail following them. "Oh hell..." Tsunade sighed as she massaged the bridge of her nose. She was going to yell at them for barging into a council meeting unannounced when she noticed the state of the young pink haired kunoichi. "What happened to her and why isn't she at the hospital receiving treatment!?"

Pulling the girl up by her hair, the Anbu held a whimpering Sakura up in front of her as Kakashi spoke without a hint of emotion to his voice. "Please excuse our interruption Lady Tsunade, but I brought this Genin here for you to pass judgement on." Excluding Danzō, Hiashi, and Shibi, everyone on the shinobi council eye's widened at what was said. A Jonin would only bring his Genin student to the Hokage like this for one reason. Treason.

"Civilian council leave. This is for our ears only as of now." Anyone who wanted to argue against Tsunade could not find the will to at her tone of voice. It demanded obedience and immediate action. They all left without a word. Some thinking it might be for the best from pleading look in Sakura's eye.

Once they were gone, Sakura was brought to the middle of the room. One look at the Hokage told the girl that there would be no mercy for her what so ever. "What happened?" Tsunade asked seriously. Kakashi told Tsunade of what he came in upon in Naruto's hospital room and what Gaara told him of his reasoning for attacking the girl. To say the Hokage looked furious was an understatement. The women's fists were shaking and her entire skin had turned a beat red. Not just her face. Her entire body was red with fury.

"And what of the girl's reasoning for this?" Shikaku asked seeing that his leader would soon fly off the handle hoped the girl had an answer that might spare her slow gruesome death instead of a quick one. Today was just all around bad for people.

"I did it... for Sasuke..." she proclaimed as loudly as she could. Both Tsume and Chōza stared at her with ultimate dislike while the others were disgusted by her claim. Though it only got worse. "I had to do... this for Sasuke's... sake... and even the village's...we need Sasuke... not Naruto... he's useless to us..."

The room filled with a loud silence as no one dared to speak. Even Danzō knew it best to keep his mouth shut as the anger could visibly be seen rolling off of Tsunade's trembling form. Her chakra encased her body and seemed to increase the pressure in the room on everybody. Sakura seemed to be suffering from it the most.

Looking up, Tsunade showed nothing but hate and disgust in her eyes. "Normally this would be done elsewhere, but that would be a waste of our time." Sakura's eyes widen as she heard the worse noise in her life. The sound of a thousand birds chirping just behind her.

"Please... no... I was doing the village... a favor..." Tears streamed down the girls face as she turned to her sensei. The blank stare on her face terrified her more than anything else in her entire life had before. "Kakashi-sensei... please..."

Tsunade signaled the go ahead as Kakashi lifted his hand. "I'm not your sensei." Sakura's screams could be heard for miles as the Chidori was turned from a quick assassination jutsu, into a slow execution one. If it wasn't for the fact that everyone in the room had seen far worse on possibly a larger scale they may have needed psychological help after the sight. Not even the medical ninja was affected by what happened before her.

As Sakura's mutilated body was toted out, the medic stepped forward with a grim look on her face. Tsunade could feel that this day was just about to worsen considerably. "A report on the condition of the retrieval team members Hokage-sama. Inuzuka Kiba is recovering and should be ready for active duty in due time along with his partner." Tsume sighed happily at her boy's condition before finally relaxing into her seat. "Hyuga Neji is recovering though his wounds will leave him unable to perform efficiently for at least a month." Hiashi silent smiled that the boy was going to be fine even if it would take time. "Uzumaki Naruto is recovering, but it is recommended he seek mental help before returning to active duty." Tsunade flinched at the women's words. "Nara Shikamaru is also recommended for mental help and to be taken off of active duty." Gasp came from everyone as the medic took a deep breath.

The worst chill filled the room as she opened her mouth once more. "The cause of the recommendation... Akimichi Choji... survived the effect and treatment of the Three Colored Pills. Unfortunately he went into SCA and we were unable to save him. Akimichi Choji died exactly one hour ago."

One mission. Several decisions. Outcomes that people wish were not true. That is the life a shinobi leads. One that Choji leads no more. Feeling that it was best, Tsunade ended the council meeting stating that Choji's funeral would be held in two weeks' time so that all those who want will be able to attend. It took the help of both Inoichi and Shikaku to get their friend through the door and back home before he finally fell apart.

Tsunade wrote a quick letter to Sakura's parents, and handed them to the Anbu to deliver. Now she stood in her office looking out at the night sky as the moon sat high in the sky. It took her just to notice that it was in a complete lunar eclipse. _Sometimes that is a good omen, but tonight it was nothing less of a devil's advocate. One new rogue ninja in the hands of our enemy. Two of our best mental obscured by horrors of reality. One traitor who never had a chance at success. And a boy who lost his life far beyond his time..._ "Shizune," she called to her assistant outside, "bring me a bottle of sake. I truly need it at a time like this." She heard Shizune agree with her without hesitation and appear with two bottles and cups instead of one. Tears were in the girl's eyes. _Yes, this was a bad day._

* * *

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the story. Until next time my friends!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: The poll for the pairing for Naruto is still going.**

* * *

**Ino**

**Flashback**

The blonde haired girl had been in the Hokage's office many times before, but never had it felt the way it felt now. The room seemed to bleed out an apprehensive feeling on to her. She shifted around uncomfortably as she looked at the other four people in the room.

Tenten and Lee stood to her right while Hinata and Shino stood to her left. All five of them had been called to the room by a member of the Anbu early in the morning when at least one of them (she herself) was still trying to find a way out of their bed. How Tenten and Hinata could look so alert at a time like this was a complete mystery to her. Lee was Lee so she didn't even try to think about it since he was actively trying to complete 500 pushups before Tsunade showed up. Shino on the other hand, she couldn't even tell if the kid was actually even awake with those damn sunglasses on his face blocking his eyes.

The blonde girl sighed as she rubbed her arms in a failing attempt to rid herself of the chill in the room. "Do you guys have any idea why Tsunade-sama called us in here?"

Hinata looked at Ino and shook her head. "The Anbu member who came to get me didn't tell me a-anything. Just that he was to e-escort me to the Hokage's Tower a-and back o-once she was done talking to u-us."

"Same here," Tenten sighed, "and I was just about to final beat my dad in a game of shogi too."

Ino sighed as she sat down in one of the chairs in the room. "Well that's just great. Grabs all of us without telling anyone why, and then isn't even here when we arrive. What could be taking here so long!?"

"Maybe the fact that I had to get your Jōnin-senseis as well Yamanaka," a voice whispered dangerously close to Ino's ear.

Making the smartest decision of her life thus far, Ino became rigid and didn't move a muscle. The girl didn't even dare breathe in fear of offending the Hokage more than she possibly already has. _If I don't move, she can't see me. Yeah, that'll work._

Eventually Tsunade made her way to her chair plopped down into it. She looked up at the eight people standing in the room before her. Matio Guy, Sarutobi Asuma, and Yuhi Kurenai stood behind their respective students with varying degrees of expressions. They already knew why the Genin were here, and were just here for moral support.

Sighing, Tsunade clasped her hands together in front of her. "I would apologies for grabbing you all so early in the morning, but I'm not really in the mood for that right now. I called you five here to deliver some... unfortunate news to you all personally."

"A-ano... then why a-are Kurenai-sensei a-and the o-others doing here?" Ino looked back at Asuma who had both of his hands on her shoulders, for some unexplained reason, with quite a bothered expression on his face as Hinata asked her question.

Tsunade sighed again as she leaned forward. "They, like the others who are not here, already know what I am about to tell you. Your senseis are here... to help."

Ino frowned. "Why isn't Sakura here then? I mean, other than her... and Lee if you think about it, everyone who isn't here either took part in the Retrieval mission in one way or another."

"That brings me to the first piece of news I am giving you. You see... Haruno Sakura committed an act of treason the day before. She was given her punishment according to the level of the highest degree." The woman looked up to see Hinata's widened eyes as Shino nodded in understanding. Lee on the other hand looked lost as Tenten and Ino tried to remember what that meant. Tsunade cursed her luck under her breath. "That means that Haruno Sakura was executed the night before."

Ino and the others gasped at the words. A member of their graduating group had not only committed treason, but was killed for it as well. Ino staggered slightly as she tried to figure out what the girl could have done to deserve the death sentence.

Ino tried to voice her questions, but couldn't get the words out of her mouth. Tsunade plowed on. "That though is not the worst of the news." Her eyes drifted to Ino who flinched.

_What can be worse than that? What could possibly be any worse than hearing you friend was killed for treason before you could even remedy your friendship? _Ino didn't know that answer to that question, and she truly did't want to. The girl knew what she wanted didn't matter right now though.

As Asuma's hands tightened on the young blonde's shoulders, Tsunade closed her eyes. "After the failure of Retrieval mission, everyone on the team was hospitalized for their injuries except Shikamaru. While everyone did make a recovery from their wounds, there was a loss to an unexpected event."

Asuma was holding Ino up by her shoulders. The young girl was drawing her conclusions already. Her wanting to go visit Choji in the hospital. Being derailed by her father who sent her to see Shikamaru. Shikamaru's refusal to even acknowledge anyone else's presence. The face her father made when she said she would visit Choji the next day. The meeting that was being held now, and how it was going. All of this seemed to point in one direction.

"Early the night before, Akimichi Choji of Team 10 died unfortunately in the hospital room," Tsunade said with a straight face yet somber voice.

**Flashback End**

Looking in her mirror now a week later, Ino was unsure of what happened next. The girl was sure she cried. She was sure she possibly even yelled at the Hokage for it. Now though, she just didn't know nor did she even care. In an all-black dress, all that mattered to her was getting to Choji's funeral.

A knock was heard on her door before her father walked in. Inoichi looked at his daughter stare at herself in the mirror and wanted to cry. His daughter had been exhibiting syptoms of the beginning stages of depression since the news off Choji's death was delivered to her. The Ino he knew would never even let herself get anywhere near the word depressed before finding something to raise her spirits. "Ino... it is time for us to go now," he said quietly.

"...Hai father." With dull eyes, Ino turned to follow her father out.

**Hinata**

Hinata was unsure of how she felt about the funeral she was about to attend. While she did not actively hang around the boy, she still thought of him as a friend. Hearing of his death did not strike her with grief the way it had Ino, but hardly unaffected by Choji's passing.

After Tsunade told them what happened, Hinata found herself to be more angry than anything else. _His selfishness did this. He was given everything almost on a silver platter, but no, that wasn't enough for him. No, not for an Uchiha. He had to just have more._

The girl clenched her fist until she felt her father's presence behind her. She straightened her clothes before turning to the man. He regarded her silently before leading her out of the house.

**Lee**

This was all a nightmare to him. It was not enough for his love to become a traitor and be executed. He had to lose a comrade as a result of someone else's greed as well.

It greatly pained him that it happened. He felt that if he had just recovered faster that things would be different. That there wouldn't be a need for a funeral today. The blame was just as much his as Sasuke's in his mind.

He very rarely wore anything other than his green uniform, but today was a day for another color. _Tomorrow though, will be different. I'll train as hard to bring him to justice for what he has done._ Nodding to himself, he grabbed a flower and took off.

**Tenten**

The bun haired girl silently sat on the roof of her home with her eyes closed. For the past week she had been trying to talk to Ino with little to no success. The girl just seemed to naturally rebuff all of her attempts at helping her. Tenten was not happy at the loss of allies. Two betray the village in one way or another, one loses his life due to a traitor, and two were not mentally fit to be of help to anyone.

They were all supposed to be a group, but in such a short time that meant nothing. Just as Lee and Guy landed behind her, wearing similar black suits, Tenten's eyes opened. For a moment they all just looked out at the horizon where the storm clouds met dull looking trees.

"Let's go," she whispered.

**Ino**

Ino stood next to Shikamaru and her father quietly as everyone arrived to the funeral. The grounds on which they were all on was practically filled to the brim. Most of the group was made up of greatly upset Akimichi clan members. Others were the deceased boy's friends.

Ino could see Asuma and Kurenai standing towards the entrance to the ground with Choji's mother and father Chōza. Team Guy, with Neji's arm in a sling, was walking to take their seats towards the front. Hinata, alongside her father Hiashi, sat silently next to the other clan heirs, Kiba and Shino, and clan heads, Tsume and Shibi.

"Looks like almost everyone is here," Shikaku said as he stood next to Inoichi. "We should take our seat with the other clan head and heirs."

Shikamaru's eyes slowly roamed over the people. "We are missing someone."

Ino looked around and frowned with lowered eyes. "I don't know what you mean Shikamaru, but everyone is here." She walks towards her seat with her father trailing her. As far as Ino was concerned, anyone who wasn't here could go fuck themselves. They obviously were heartless monsters who didn't understand a thing.

The clouds above the group of mourners was growing restless as thunder began rumbling through the sky. Chōza chose that moment to walk in front of everyone. All small talk cleared away as she cleared her throat.

"Thank you all for coming to... part ways with my son as we finally lay him to rest." The large man took a shaky breath. "I know that there are things that a father should say... if he is unfortunate enough to be at his own son's funeral. Those things escape me now, and all I can think about is how happy he must be right now. How peaceful a place Kami must have set aside for him."

Bowing his head slightly, Chōza moved off to the side next to his crying wife as Ino stood up in front of everyone. She folded her hands in front of her. "My name is Yamanaka Ino... one of Choji's teammates. I've known Choji since we were both just little kids thinking the world was nothing but a huge playground. He had always been a fun loving sort of person. Was never one to purposely cause a scene, and was always there for his friends when they needed him most."

The blond wiped tears out of her eyes as she cleared her throat. "That boy was strong. Not just physically either, but in a way I can't really describe correctly. The best I can say is he had a strong spirit. An unbreakable spirit of a true friend and protector."

Stepping down, Ino let Shikamaru slowly take her place. He stared out at the crowd before looking to the angry sky. The boy's eyes closed as he sighed sorrowfully. "Choji was my best friend. Like Ino, I have known that guy since we were just kids. The two of us did almost everything together. We played together. Joined the academy together. Got into loads of trouble together. The two of us were just always together.

"I never thought there would be a time where all of that stopped. I never thought that there wouldn't be a time where I would wake up knowing that he wasn't there." Shikamaru shook his head slowly and clenched his fist. "None of us should be here right now. Choji should be just about to start complimenting some random food item by now. He shouldn't have needed to give his life for a power hungry child that didn't understand what he had. But that's not what happened, and I won't forget that."

"I failed Choji when I left him to fight an enemy on his own. That won't happen again. I could give up being a ninja. Hell I probably should, but that's not something Choji would want. Choji would want me to make sure nothing like this every happens again. He would me to protect everything we have ever cared about." Shikamaru smiled as tears flowed down his face. "Cause he just was that sort of troublesome person."

**Naruto**

Naruto watched as the people moved around the grounds. After Shikamaru spoke, Choji's mother had attempted to say some words on behalf of her son. The attempt sucked what little bit of happiness Shikamaru's speech out of the air as the women barely opened her mouth before losing it. She crumpled down into a heap of shivering sobs as she tried to control herself.

Chōza and Yoshino, Shikamaru's mother, rushed to help the fallen woman back up. They tried to comfort her as everyone else began moving on to stand at Choji's grave. Flowers were placed before the boy's picture, parting words were spoken, and tears were shed.

Naruto sighed as he watched the events. "Do you think... things could have been different if I was stronger sensei? That Choji would be alive and Sasuke would have been home right now? That Sakura... that..."

Kakashi sighed as he looked down at his only remaining student below him in the tree they were in. Neither of them felt they had the right to be anywhere near Choji's funeral. Somehow, they both played a part in the death in the most joyful member of what used to be the Rookie Nine. "I don't know the answer to that Naruto. There were many other factors that played into what all happened other than your strength."

Naruto looked up at Kakashi as tears shone bright in his eyes. "I want to go down there Kakashi-sensei. I want to say good bye to Choji." He looked back and clenched his fist. "But I don't belong down there do I?" Kakashi was silent which was all the answer Naruto needed as far as he was concerned.

The two continued to watch the funeral in silence. Many of the people had left the grounds to mourn at home the loss, while only Choji's closest friends and relatives stayed behind. No one was doing anything other than whispering to each other. Trying to lift their spirits.

"Naruto," Kakashi said as the sky opened up and cried on to them, "you should go down there." Naruto looked at him questioningly. "I don't think it is good for you to avoid anyone. Plus the Hokage wishes to see you and the others. You should say goodbye like the others before you go."

Naruto looked over at his sensei before nodding his head and dropping from the tree.

**Shikamaru**

Shikamaru was the first to notice the blond walking towards them. He had been standing with Ino while she cried into his shoulder when he looked up at the sky. The rain was pelting everyone, yet they still refused to leave. Leaving was the same as saying Choji was let go in some way. A way that none of them were ready to let the boy go in.

"Ino, what are you going to do?" he asked her quietly.

The blond looked startled by the question. "What do you mean Shikamaru?" Shikamaru gave a look that told her he knew she knew what he meant. "I... I don't know," she sighed. "This is was impossible to me. We were supposed to be a team forever, but with Choji... not here, I truly don't know how we can stay a team."

Shikamaru thought about Ino's words and sighed. Her words rung true in his ears, and made him wonder if possibly his words earlier would amount to nothing. As he looked at Ino to respond he noticed a flash of orange behind her. Looking up he saw Naruto walking towards them all slowly.

The boy immediately felt he wanted to talk to him, but he couldn't ignore Ino. He watched as Naruto walked passed them with his head held down. People started to notice the blond one by one, and their whispering turned into a hushed silence as he approached Choji's grave.

"Naruto..." Ino looked at the boy with an uncertainty that was clear to Shikamaru. She was unsure as to how she felt about Naruto being here. The lazy genius knew that it made little since to be skeptical of the Uzumaki, but he also understood Ino's feelings. There wasn't much between the two blonds since they rarely ever saw each other. Recent events would have no positive effect on their relationship at all. It might just have a negative one.

Naruto slowly knelt down in front of Choji's piicture and prayed. Shikamaru could just barely see his lips moving and decided to talk with him. Gently moving a glaring Ino away, he walked over to Naruto and stood beside him.

"Hey," Shikamaru said as Naruto brought his prayer to a finish.

The blond stood and looked at the shadow user. "Hey."

The two stared at each other in a slight uncomfortable silence as others watched them. "Why didn't you show up at the beginning of the funeral? I was looking for you ya know."

"I thought it best to wait. There was no guarantee that you guys wanted me around for this, so I stayed back," Naruto said. Shikamaru nodded his knowing that there was sure to be at least one or two people who blamed Naruto for what had happened. Ino probably was doing just that as she glared at them. "I should get going now. The Hokage and her demands and all," Naruto sighed in a slightly joking way.

"Uh, how troublesome. I forgot that we had to report to her after this was over. Wait a moment and I'll go with you." Shikamaru walked back to Ino who was still glaring. "It's time to go Ino. We have to see the Hokage now."

Ino sighed and pointed at Naruto. "Is he going to be coming too?"

"What does it matter Ino?"

"Just answer the question Shikamaru. Is Naruto going with us or not?"

"I'm going with Naruto," he replied with a sigh. "You can go with the others if you want. We all have to go though." Ino's jaw tightened as she nodded and walked away from him.

"She doesn't seem happy to see me," Naruto said from next to Shikamaru making him jump slightly.

"Don't do that Naruto. Anyways ignore Ino. She hasn't been thinking straight for the past few days and isn't really all that happy to see many people."

Naruto grunted. "I don't believe you. Let's go." The blond jumped off as Shikamaru sighed.

_Damn blonds. All of them are just so troublesome._

**Naruto**

Naruto and the other five remaining members of the Rookie Nine stood in front of the Hokage as she drummed her fingers on her desk. She was looking them over slowly, and would linger on him occasionally before sighing and looking around again. The boy was unsure of why they were there, but he knew it had to be more bad news. News that had something to do with him.

"Well this is all just a mess," Tsunade sighed as the five before her fidgeted. "Before I began, I have to ask Naruto. Why did you not leave with Jiraiya? He had so much planned out for you."

"Maybe because he's just an ingrate," Ino whispered so that only Shikamaru could hear. He threw her a quick glare before looking towards Naruto.

Naruto's eyes met Shikamaru's and he shook his head. "I just can't leave Baa-chan," he said softly. "I mean, if I go what am I going to come back to?"

Tsunade frowned at Naruto as she folded her hands together. "What does that have to do with you going on a training trip with Jiraiya?"

Naruto smiled sadly as he chuckled. "In a sense, my entire team is dead now. All I have is Kakashi-sensei left now, and there aren't any teams of two unless it's two Jōnin. I wouldn't be able to see the point in returning her at all."

"I see," Tsunade sighed sadly. "Well seeing as Jiraiya has already left; I won't try to persuade you to see things differently. Instead I have an announcement to make." Her eyes swiveled over to look at Ino and Shikamaru. "Do to Team Ten missing a member, and Naruto being without a team, he is as of now the new member of you team Shikamaru and Ino."

Shikamaru nodded while Ino frowned. "You expect us to team up with Naruto when our team dynamics call for Choji? Why not give us another Akimichi to work with? That way our team plans wouldn't be in need of changing or anything."

Tsunade help up one finger as she glared at Ino. "One, there are no more Akimichi Genin to take the place of Choji." Another finger. "Two, even if I did have another Akimichi Genin that would still leave Naruto without a team." Another finger. "Three, you team dynamics aren't destroyed, just changed so get over it." And another finger. "And four because that is what I decided." Tsunade slapped her open palm down on to her desk and frowned. "Now does anyone have any questions?"

Ino grumbled as almost everyone else shook their heads. "What about Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Kakashi will have another job now Naruto, so don't worry about him. He'll still come see you every now and then," Tsunade said as Naruto nodded. "Now, with everything that happened, the six of you are going to be given the rest of this month as vacation time. Anyone have a problem with that? No? Good, everyone but Naruto may leave."

Bowing respectful, everyone left Naruto in the room with Tsunade. "Is there something you wanted?" Naruto asked with obvious false cheer that mad Tsunade frown.

"You have an appointment Naruto. Did you forget that?"

Naruto shook his head. "I got see Ino's dad to make sure I'm not going crazy or something like that right?"

The Hokage sighed as she rubbed her temples. "Yes and no. We want to make sure you are mentally stable, but there is more to it. It's rare for the complete collapse of a team to occur like it did for your team. So rare, that it has only happened six times before this time, and each time the remaining member didn't cope well with the loss of his or her team."

Naruto frowned slightly. "I don't understand what you're getting at Baa-chan? What else are you sending me for?"

Tsunade sighed. "I wasn't going to do this at first, but after you said you had nothing left in Konoha I feel I have no choice. It was suggested that you be labeled as a 'flight risk', and see Inoichi to be sure you aren't about to run."

"Is that what those before me did?" Naruto asked while lowering his eye lids.

"Yes, and only one of them lived after they were tracked down by our Anbu." Tsunade stands and places her hands on Naruto's shoulders. "I don't want anything to happen to you that can be avoided Naruto. Do you understand?" The two stared at each other before nodded his head. "Good, you can go rest now."

Naruto smiled at Tsunade before leaving. He stopped just outside of the room and looked back at the women. "What about Shikamaru? Wasn't he supposed to see someone too?"

Tsunade waved her hand before her face. "And his is. His father and mother can be really good psychological help if they try."

Nodding, Naruto continued on his way out. _A new team huh? I guess teaming up with Shikamaru won't hurt. He's an okay guy but Ino..._

**Tsunade**

Tsunade sighed heavily as she plopped down into her chair. She closed her eyes as she rubbed her temples and moaned. _These kami forsaken fools will definitely be the death of me._ A paper sat in the open drew just above her hidden sake. Looking at it the Hokage growled at it. It was a double petition for the banishment or execution of Naruto. They had immediately started floating around after word of the mission's failure. She quickly had Anbu round up all the people and was in the process of having them all destroyed except for the one before her now. Over five hundred names were the one petition sheet before her. There was no telling how many names had actually signed throughout the entire village. _Naruto…_

* * *

**A/N: Laziness made this take longer than I intended it to. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Man laziness has been kicking my ass as of late. POLL STILL GOING!**

* * *

**Naruto**

The spiky haired blond sat silently in Training Ground Seven as the sun began to rise over the Konoha's horizon. He had been on the grounds ever since he left the Hokage's office the day before. _I wonder if Kakashi will ever come back here? Chances are he went back to being a member of the Anbu again, so probably not. Maybe I can see about becoming an Anbu member after the next Exams._

A sudden rustling noise came from the right side of the blonde. Frowning, Naruto stood and turned towards the source of the noise. For a moment the leaves of a rather tall bush shook until it spat out a disheveled looking Shikamaru making Naruto frown slightly more. "What are you doing here Shikamaru?"

Dusting himself off, the boy grunted. "Troublesome blond. I could ask you the same thing. We have a team meeting in the next twenty minutes. Thought you wouldn't want to be late for it or anything, so I went to your house. Seeing as you weren't there I came looking for you."

Naruto nodded his head and sighed. "Alright then. Where do you guys meet up at?"

"We meet in our training ground today. Sometimes we might meet elsewhere, but Asuma-sensei will let us know. Let's go." Naruto nodded and followed Shikamaru back through the greenery of the forest silently. There was an obvious trail that they were following that Naruto was sure Shikamaru made when he was stumbling through it all.

"What were you doing there Naruto?" Shikamaru suddenly asked as they walked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. I mean what were you doing in training ground seven? You were just sitting there before I came through the bush." Shikamaru glanced back at Naruto as the boy looked up. The shadow user already knew he was doing there. He was only trying to see how far Naruto would trust him.

After a moment of silence, Naruto spoke. "I didn't feel like going home last night, so I came here. Was thinking about Sakura and Sasuke, and what made them decide to do what they did." Naruto looked at the back of the other boy's head. "Do you think Sasuke is with Orochimaru now because of me? That if I was different he would still be here? I already know that what happened to Sakura was my fault."

Shikamaru shook his head. "I don't think there is anything that could have been done differently short of killing him Naruto. Anything less, and we would all still be in the position we are in now. It's just the way Sasuke is. No one is to blame for him leaving, not even Orochimaru. Eventually, Sasuke would have left anyways." As they started crossing over Training Ground Eight Shikamaru sighed. "As for Sakura, something was wrong with that girl. I knew she was 'in love' with Sasuke, but I don't think anyone would have believed that she would go that far for him. Again, no one is to blame here."

Naruto nodded, but he didn't believe Shikamaru. _Thanks for trying Shika, but I know this is my fault. I know that I failed everyone_.

**Tsunade**

Kneeling before the Hokage were ten civilians who were shaking, though for some reason, one seemed unable stay up right. Their hands were tied behind their backs and their feet were also tied. Tsunade knew that this wasn't needed, but she truly and honestly couldn't care less. Well she could, but the situation required for that didn't happen. Clasping her hands before her, Tsunade leaned forward. "Does anyone know why we are all here right now like this?"

One of the woman looked up with fear in their eyes, but hatred burned just under it. "Because you have fallen for the same 'just an innocent child' look as the Sandaime Hokage did before he died. You actually believe that demon is a normal kid." The others nodded, though timidly, in agreement with the woman.

"And what, pray you tell, makes Naruto a demon exactly? What has that boy done ever done to any of you to warrant the shit you have given him?"

"He tried to destroy our village and killed our friends and family!" the same woman yelled at her. "You of course wouldn't understand that shit you stupid bitch, not being here or..." She would have continued on to rant, but she suddenly was launched into ceiling. Coughing up blood as she fell back down, the woman slammed down head first on to an Anbu's outstretched sword. The other civilians screamed in terror as the woman's head was ripped away and the blood sprayed on to them.

As they all tried to worm away from the dead woman's body, Tsunade sneered. "Shut your mouths!" They all quieted down as they looked towards the frowning Hokage. "All of you are tried to harm Konoha by getting rid of one of its best assets. That in itself is a high enough crime for execution. There's no telling what else I might find in that," she said while pointing at a stack of files on her desk, "that could warrant something worse than death."

"Hokage-sama please," a man pleaded, "you have to understand that we were only doing what we were told was best for the village. Nothing we did was to harm it in any way," one of the men said.

Another man chimed in. "Yes Hokage-sama! Everything we have done was for the good of the village!" The other seven civilians nodded eagerly in agreement.

"For the good of the village eh? Well what if I say there is a way for you all to serve a minimal amount of time in prison and help the village instead of dying?"

**Asuma**

_Hm... the sky looks completely clear today. Hopefully everything else will be the same._ Standing in the middle of Training Ground Ten, Asuma stared up into the clouds lazily as he waited for his students to arrive. The situation he would soon be dealing with wouldn't be as easily handled as he had originally hoped it would be when he was first told of the rearrangements.

The man was completely unsurprised by the outcome of the events really. It was not uncommon for a team to merge with another team when it has suffered losses in the way that Team Seven had, when another team has enough openings for them to to a loss like Team Ten did. So having Naruto become a part of his team was long foreseen after hearing of the boy's rejection to leaving with the Toad Sannin. What did surprise him were his orders this morning.

**Flashback**

Kurenai and Asuma stood patiently, yet awkwardly, before their Hokage as she seemed to smoothly be moving through her paperwork. With it being common knowledge of Tsunade's reaction to paperwork the two Jōnin were confused with calm appearance. Kurenai glanced over at Asuma who shrugged slightly as he went to light the cigarette in his mouth.

"If you light that in this room Asuma-san," Tsunade said while putting away the last of her work, "you will force me to reconstruct many things about you physically and mentally. Though mostly physically."

Slowly lowering his lighter, Asuma nodded his head. "Hai Hokage-sama."

"Good, now Kurenai," Tsunade leaned back in her chair and clasped her hands together, "I need you to closely monitor your team from this point forward. More specifically I need you to monitor their reactions towards one Uzumaki Naruto."

Kurenai looked quizzically at her leader. "I don't understand Hokage-sama. Has something happened that I'm unaware of?"

Tsunade waved her hand dismissively. "Nothing that you need worry yourself about Kurenai. You may leave now." Blinking owlishly, Kurenai looked from Tsunade to Asuma, who again shrugged, before bowing and leaving the room.

"Is there a reason I am still here Hokage-sama?" He knew it was an idiotic question, but Asuma felt the need to ask the question anyways. "Do you need me to watch Shikamaru and Ino as well?"

"Yes," the woman gave the man a small glare, "and no. Shikamaru doesn't seem like he will have much of a problem with Naruto's presence. From what I was able to see, he was always one of the most accepting of Naruto in the Rookie Nine." Asuma nodded as he had also noticed that the only one matching Shikamaru's acceptance of the blond haired Genin was the shy Hinata. "Ino on the other hand at the moment is a problem though. It seems like she is blaming Naruto for the death of Choji, Sakura's execution, and I'm not sure but possibly Sasuke's betrayal of the leaf."

Asuma frowned. "Are you sure Hokage-sama? I mean, I know that Ino and Naruto were never what you could call close, but I don't think she would blame him for things he really had no control over."

"You didn't see the way she reacted to the placement of Naruto on you all's squad." Tsunade sighed. "Monitor her Asuma-san, monitor her closely, and report everything to me do you understand?" Asuma nodded and turned to leave. "And Asuma-san, if it she attacks Naruto in any way that could be considered lethal, execute her on the spot. Inoichi has agreed to this." Completely stunned, Asuma again nodded and walked out. He was so stunned he didn't notice the Anbu with ten tied up civilians in the next room, nor the fact the Anbu were letting Shizune torture the lower half of one of the civilians with a few senbon.

**Flashback End**

Asuma flicked the ash off of his cigarette and sighed. _Dammit Ino. Don't you fuck up. Your father may have agreed to this and all, but it doesn't mean it needs to happen._ Putting the cigarette back into his mouth, he noticed Shikamaru stumble out of a bush with Naruto following closely behind him. "First to show up as usual eh Shikamaru." The boy just grunted before flopping on to his back next to his sensei. Asuma chuckled softly and looked at Naruto.

He was standing awkwardly behind the two of them kicking at the grass. "Asuma-sensei," the boy said somewhat questioningly. "What do you teach?" Asuma raised a quizzical eyebrow. "I mean... er... I just... uh never mind."

Asuma turned to Naruto and flicked away his cigarette before drawing another one. He had always been curious about the blond before him. His scores out of the academy were the worse that anyone had seen in a long time. Not only that, but he had technically failed the initial Genin test four times. Yet his performance as a shinobi since leaving the academy didn't reflect those failures. His fighting ability displayed against Neji and Kiba was something to admire. The way he could mass produce Shadow Clones was astonishing, and completing the Rasengan was unbelievable. There was obviously more to this boy than meets the eye.

"Naruto," he said gaining the boy's attention, "tell me what you learned from Kakashi other than the mandatory teamwork exercises. It'll help me figure out how to help you out more since Ino and Shikamaru receive training from their parents as well. When they are doing that I can focus on individualized training methods for you."

Nodding, Naruto thought for a moment before looking down. "We... I learned to tree climb," he said. Asuma looked at him patiently as Shikamaru opened his eyes. Naruto sighed sadly.

Asuma stared at the boy for a moment. "...you're kidding me right? Kakashi had to have taught you more than tree climbing after all this time."

Naruto shook his head. "He didn't really teach I as much as he just preached teamwork." The cigarette in Asuma's mouth sagged slightly. The three stood, laid in the case of Shikamaru, in relative silence after that until Ino appeared.

The platnium blond smiled and waved. "Hey Shikamaru, Sensei!" Walking past Naruto, she stood in front of her teacher.

_Damn you Ino._" Someone is a little chipper this morning now eh?" Asuma said.

Ino nodded. "Yep. A good night's sleep can do that to a girl you know. So what are we doing first?"

Asuma looked at the three before him. _I have two infiltration and information gatherers with one heavy hitter. Not actually all that bad of a team setup if you really looked at it. Just training these three is going to be complete hell. _"Well with our new addition, we need to let each other know our skills. That way we know what everyone can do."

Shikamaru nodded while Ino frowned. "You mean have the baka behind me tell us what he can do then tell him what we can do." Naruto visibly fell into himself slight at Ino's words.

Shikamaru sent his teammate a small glare before standing. "It doesn't matter Ino. Let just get this over with so that we aren't messing each other up." Ino rolled her eyes as their sensei smiled. "Anyways, I can do the Shadow Possession Jutsu, Shadow Strangulation Jutsu, and the Clone Shadow Jutsu."

"Huh?" Ino said.

"Don't you mean the Shadow Clone Jutsu Shika?" Naruto asked softly.

The shadow user shook his head. "No," placing his fingers together and dropping to one knee Shikamaru began to concentrate until a human shaped shadow stepped out of Ino's shadow, "I mean Clone Shadow. I can make seven of them at a time, but I can only control three at once so the other four are pretty useless unless guarding an area."

"Hm, that's quite the move Shikamaru," Asuma praised. "Are they combat applicable?"

Shikamaru nodded. "They can fight freely without my control which is why the four I can't control are good for guards only at the moment. The three I can control can pass through any shadow and blend into them as well. What they learn I learn as well."

"Wow that's pretty cool Shika," Naruto smiled, but frowned at a glance from Ino.

"Good, now how about you Ino," Asuma said.

Ino sighed and looked towards the sky. "I can do the Mind Body Transfer Jutsu and three basic genjutsus."

Asuma nodded. "Now you Naruto."

"I... can do the Shadow Clone Jutsu and the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu with a complete mastery over the Henge technique. I also have a slight mastery over the Rasengan though I still can't make one with one hand." Naruto thought for a moment before nodding.

Asuma and Shikamaru nodded while Ino snorted. "Yeah, I don't think that mastering the Henge means anything baka. Also I don't think that stupid Sexy Jutsu of yours counts for anything."

"Ino that's enough!" Asuma glared down at the girl before sighing. "Naruto and I will so you the difference mastering the Henge and have a complete mastery over it. Naruto if you will, the two of us will Henge into Shizune." Nodding the two quickly transformed into two identical twin Shizunes. "Now Ino I know you left one of your jutsus off of your list. The move built specifically to counter the Henge which has possibly the lamest name I have ever heard, the Henge Counter. I want you to use it one me," Asuma Shizune said in Shizune's voice.

Shrugging, Ino charged chakra into her palms before grabbing Asuma Shizune's arm. Her hand stopped somewhat on the outside of Asuma Shizune's arm as the Henge began to wavery before dissipating. "Right, now we all know that the Henge is the most basic genjutsu of all genjutsus. That is why something so simple can destroy it. Even if Ino hadn't used the Henge Counter a normal person could bump into me and tell that something was off. Henge can't change a person's body size, just mask it." Pointing at Naruto Shizune's head, Asuma smirked slightly. "So a punch should faze right through Naruto here's head easily correct?"

Understanding what their sensei was getting at, Shikamaru and Ino picked up a rock and chucked them at Naruto Shizune. Shikamaru's rock scratched the side of Naruto Shizune's face, while Ino's. "Ow! What the hell was that for!?" Naruto Shizune said while rubbing her forehead.

"But how is that possible?" Ino asked with a scrunched up nose.

"This is true mastery over the Henge you guys. Right now Naruto is not under a genjutsu. He has truthfully and honestly turned into a Shizune." Smiling, Asuma glanced at a mumbling Naruto who had released his Henge. "Other than Naruto, I have only known one woman with the ability to do that."

Shikamaru looked at Naruto and gave him a slight thumb's up. Ino just sighed and looked up at the sky. "So what about that Rasengan move?" Shikamaru asked. "What can it do?" Ino hide her curiosity by continuing to look upwards with downward glances. Tapping his chin Asuma snapped his fingers before pointing at a tree and then giving it a thumb's down."

It took Naruto a second to understand, but he quickly formed a clone to help him make a Rasengan. Shikamaru's eyes widened as Ino openly gaped at the blue sphere as it formed in Naruto's hand. Dispelling the clone, the blond boy charged at the tree before slamming the ball of chakra into it. The resulting explosion caused everyone to cover their faces to protect their eyes from the flying splinters. Looking at the tree, Ino and Shikamaru gasped.

The tree was completely gone. In its place was a small crater. The six trees around it were only in a slightly better condition. Two of them had been blown over, while two others were leaning on each with the bark looking like it would soon explode in a shower of shards, and the last two seemed to have been pushed out into sideways u's.

Asuma pointed at the scene before them as Naruto jogged back to them. "That is the Rasengan. One of the two of Konoha's most fabled jutsus. Other than Naruto only two people can use that jutsu. Well three I guess, but Kakashi doesn't really use it."

"Who else can use that move?" Ino asked.

Asuma lifted two fingers. "One: Jiraiya of the Sannin the Toad Sage himself. Two: the man who originally created it Minato Namikaze, or more commonly known as the Yondaime Hokage." Asuma smiled as Ino looked like she was about to pass out. He wasn't sure, but it was possible that Shikamaru already had with the way he was holding his head down. Sometimes, he was unsure of that kid.

"So what did you guys think?" Naruto asked as he stepped next to Shikamaru. He had a small smile of satisfaction on his face that only the recent act of destroying something could bring.

Shikamaru shook his head. "Troublesome blond," he said with a small as he put his arm on Naruto's shoulder. Said blond rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled softly. Asuma looked Ino who was looking away from the two with a small bit of disgust in her face, but she was unable to hide the small bit of amazement in her eyes. Smiling, the man hoped that he would not have to spill the girl's blood for the boy.

**Naruto**

The day was spent without a single drop of training. The four Leaf nin all just stood, eventually laid in the case of Naruto and Shikamaru, around talking. Naruto had finally got an understanding of why Shikamaru was fascinated with the sky and soon found himself fascinated with it for similar reasons. Asuma had given him praise for the two matches he fought in the Chūnnin Selection Exams and gave him some advice on what he could have done better. Ino though pointedly avoided talking to her fellow blond.

Sighing, Naruto looked over at Shikamaru. "Hey Shikamaru... Ino hates me doesn't she?"

The black haired boy blinked. "How troublesome. I don't think she hates you Naruto, but I wouldn't advise trying to do much with her. She will just do her best to shove in your face. Don't take it personally though, the girl has always been like this."

_I thought as much._ Naruto nodded before looking over at Ino and Asuma who stood apart from the two boys. They seemed to be having a discussion, and quite the discussion it must be with how red Ino's face is. _I wonder what they are talking about over there? *sigh* Probably best not to try and figure out._

**Ino**

The girl had never felt so betrayed or pissed with or at anyone as she did now. "So you're telling me my own father agreed to this!? That the Hokage would actually strip me of my kunoichi status for the fucking piece of shit over there!?"

"For the last time Ino, watch your language," Asuma said while rubbing his face. This was possibly the twentieth time he was going over this with the young girl, and still she refused to curve her language.

"Is that all you're going to say to me!? To watch my fucking language!? What kind of shit is this!? Naruto gets Choji and Sakura killed, but everyone is treating him like he is some kind of child given to us from Kami herself! I feel differently about that and that puts my fucking career as a kunoichi in danger!?" Ino was breathing heavily as she balled her fist. _Why can't he see it!? Why can't anyone see that all of this is that fucking bastards fault!?_

Asuma shook his head. "Ino, Naruto is a good kid. The only wrong thing he did was play pranks that a lot of people actually thought were hilarious and have a crush on the wrong girl." He glanced over at the blond boy staring into the sky. "You have to remember that we aren't the only ones to have lost someone. We lost Choji, yes, but not because of Naruto. No, Choji died because of the Uchiha's lust for power."

"You're only saying that to try and make me think your way," Ino hissed through clenched teeth.

"Young lady don't forget that Naruto wasn't the only other person on that mission. Kiba, Neji, and even Shikamaru were with them as well. If you're blaming Naruto for something he had no control over, you're blaming the entire team for it."

Ino stood and turned away from him. She was visibly shaking with anger. _Asuma-sensei is supposed to understand me. He's supposed to support me in this stuff. Why? Why?_ Stomping her foot, Ino the stormed off with tears in her eyes. _Someone will understand me. Someone will see the way I do, and I will make everyone see it the same way._

**Asuma**

The talk he felt the needed to have with Ino had gone wrong from the moment he mentioned the blond boy's name. The girl just was set in her ways of seeing Naruto as the evil that took her teammate and her best friend's lives. Asuma sighed as he put out his cigarette and lit another one. _Hopefully Inoichi can talk to the girl._

"What a drag. Asuma-sensei me and Naruto are leaving now." Asuma looked at Shikamaru questioningly. "With Ino leaving, there is no way we'll be able to do any actual training today."

Sighing, Asuma waved them away. "Alright you two, get a good night's sleep. I plan to work you three into the ground tomorrow." Shikamaru groaned as Naruto chuckled at him. "Also Naruto, me and you will start our personal training the day after tomorrow. Take this paper and channel some chakra into it later. Tell me what happens to it tomorrow."

"Hai Asuma-sensei." Naruto took the paper and walked off behind Shikamaru.

_Now to go report to Tsunade about Ino..._

**Tsunade**

The information she was able to get out of the eight civilians satisfied her greatly. One of them decided to spit in her face and found himself a head shorter. After she got what she wanted, she had them all have a session with Ibiki for the week. After they were done with that they would each be given a ten year prison sentence.

With a bottle of sake and only a few papers on her desk, Tsunade found herself enjoying her day. Usual when that happened Naruto would come in with his wild antics and cause all sorts of trouble for her. Trouble that resulted in more paperwork. So when Asuma gave his report on Ino for the day, it was no surprise she flipped out on the poor man for ruining her day.

"What the hell were you thinking!? Did you honestly think telling her anything would help things in any way Asuma!?" Tsunade glared at the sweating chain smoker before her.

"My apologies Hokage-sama. I was only thinking that maybe if she knew the possible risk of her feelings and actions towards Naruto she would think over her actions. Maybe even find them to completely irrational," Asuma said.

Tsunade sighed. "That may be the case Asuma, but you don't tell the mission about the mission even in the heavily sugarcoated way that you did. You possibly made this entire situation worse. Her trust in her father will waver. Her trust in you, her sensei, has most likely already begun to waver. Her belief in how things work have changed." Tiredly, the women leaned back and rubbed her forehead. "I understand what you were trying for Asuma-san, but you possibly made things worse now."

"What do you want me to do?" Asuma sighed after closing her eyes.

"Tell Inoichi." Tsunade looked out the window of her office. "Tell him what you have told me so he can be prepared for his daughter's reaction towards him. Maybe he can find a way to get us past this problem." Nodding, Asuma left as Tsunade dismissed him. _Why are children so hard to deal with? Why can't they just head warnings or understand to future consequences of their actions in everyday life? Kami must have enjoyed making us reproduce such kids._

Tsunade looked at the only piece of paper that was on her desk now. On it were a list of twenty-five more names that people who had a hand in make the petition to get rid of Naruto. Three of the names on the list were part of the five hundred names see found signed on the one petition. The other twenty-one were the names of a few wealthy merchant and shop owners.

One name stuck out to her the most. A man by the name of Katō Nōzuki. Tsunade only knew of one Katō in the entire village and he was not a man to be taken lightly. Katō was a man on par with Uchiha Itachi, and like the Nidaime Hokage's affinity for Water Style, Katō's abnormally high affinity for Fire Style earned him the nickname the "Red Haze or Reddoheizu." Things would be alright if the Anbu could ever find the missing man. _Damn. That man is the only Leaf shinobi that is a missing nin while still being somewhere in the village. Asuma and Inoichi better handle that girl quickly cause this doesn't look like it's going to be as simple as crushing a boat load of civilians. Hopefully nothing else pops up._

**Ino**

Ino was unsure of what she should do. She knew who the enemy was. She knew what mask he hid behind. What she didn't know was how she was going to deal with the enemy behind the mask that robbed her of two of her friends.

At first she had considered going all out and attacking the boy for what he had done. That plan was quickly scratched. After that little display of power in the training grounds, Ino knew the boy was a lot stronger than she was at the moment. He could easily kick her ass all over the place.

Putting up flyers about the evil that was Uzumaki Naruto was the next idea. Again that one was scratched. Nobody actually looked at flyers anymore unless they said 'REWARD' on them. It would be a waste of time and a hell of a lot of paper.

She thought of ruining his supply of ramen, but couldn't bring herself to do it. She had met the young ramen waitress, Ayame, and her father the restraunt owner, Teuichi. The two of them were clearly good people. Going to every store that sold ramen would also be far too much of a hassle for her to attend to.

She even considered making his time on the team hell. _But it isn't worth the risk of losing my kunoichi status over. I can't believe those bastards would even consider doing that to me that asshole. _"Argh! Naruto is so fucking going to get his one way or another!"

Ino quickly covered her mouth after blurting out loud. People looked at her, but not with the look of 'is she crazy.' It was a look that told her they understood her. This made the girl feel somewhat better.

Walking towards her home, Ino suddenly felt someone appear behind her. Turning around she found a large man standing before her. He had white hair and dark blue eyes. A scar went down his right eye, and the cris-crossed all the way up the sides of his arms. With a grin, the man looked down on her. "Excuse me, but would you happen to have a problem with the young Uzumaki boy?"

The girl took a small step. "Yeah, what does it matter to you?"

The man's smile widened. "If you are looking to get back at him, I can be of service to you. That boy has been nothing but trouble since he was no bigger than a chair seat. Now that he's an all-important ninja we can't make him pay for the things he's done anymore. It's completely out of our hands now."

Ino saw what the man was getting at. _You just wait Naruto. I'm going to make you regret ever being born if this guy can really help me. _"I think we can help each other then. What would happen to be your name though?"

Smiling widely, the man showed two rows of perfectly pointed black teeth. "The name is Katō, but you could just call me Red."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Until next time!**


	4. If I'm Hated For This I Understand

**Hey all my friends i do not come with good news or new chapters. For the rest of this year T****_eam Uzu, Diamond & Citrine Eyes, The New Team 10, _****and ****_A Vixen's Pride _****will not be updated. I will soon (next 15-16 days) be taking my leave of the civilian world to service my country. This does not mean I will stop writing my fanfictions, just that time is no longer on my side to updat my stories. I will return to finish those four fanfictions and my first fanfiction ****_Becoming More_****. To those who generally enjoyed a story of mine or all of my work I truly apologies to you all for having to leave even if it is temporary. I can only promise my return in the next year and hopefully that will bring at least five new chapters for all of my fanfictions. Though if there is anyone who wishes to adopt ****_Diamond & Citrine Eyes_**** and only****_ Diamond & Citrine Eyes _****send me a PM and I might give you the story, but only if you PM me within the next 10 days. Again I am sorry for having to leave, but once you sign those papers you cant go back on anything. Until our URLs connect again, this is Wonderful Choas sadly saying good-bye.**


End file.
